Michael Ledo Grady (Will Kemp) is a hit man, one with a genetic condition where he doesn't feel pain. I watched the film cold so my initial discovery of this was very entertaining. Unfortunately the manufacturer has made it part of its standard description/spoiler. This would have made a great hit-man film in itself, except they opted to semi-cure him while on assignment. He is attempting to kill people while he is struggling with being able to feel pain and pleasure for the first time in his life.Brinna Kelly plays the required "hot Asian chick" in modern films. She is an EMT.The plot has some continuity issues that most of us will ignore. I would mention them but it would include end point spoilers. There is a cameo by Vinnie Jones which I wish would have lasted longer. Grady has a great sense of humor and his condition is shown as being and asset, which is not really the case, but just go with it, Unfortunately once Grady is "cured" the film's mood and comedy falls off a cliff in spite of the meager attempts at EMT humor with correctly placing a drunk passed out woman in the "recovery position."Worth a rentalGuide: F-word. Hot Asian sex. No nudity.

Mark Turner I was truly surprised by this one, something that doesn't happen very often. While definitely a movie not made on an extreme budget it does offer plenty of action, entertainment, witty dialogue and some decent performances. That's always nice to see.Will Kemp stars as Grady, a hit-man with a twist. As we learn in the first segment of the movie he has a rare condition that results in his having no sensation of pain. While this could be dangerous for most people he uses it to his advantage taking beatings and torture from his foes without consequence. While it confounds them it allows him the time to break free and complete any and all killings he was set out to do.Grady's main employer is Ezekiel (Brent Spiner) who sets him on the trail of several men, all of whom have joined together to take him down and possibly Grady as well. He gives him a cell phone, sends him off to the first target and tells him he'll give him the next name as he completes each task.Grady is drugged after taking out his first target by someone who snuck into the apartment before he could leave. That person not only left him unconscious but injected him with a serum that takes away his advantage leaving him able to feel things for the first time, including but not limited to pain. When he wakes he kidnaps an ambulance driver named Zan (Brinna Kelly) to help him deal with some wounds and assist him as the night moves forward. Of course the whole Stockholm syndrome comes into play here as Zan eventually begins to have feelings for Grady.With each target Grady and Zan not only have to worry about completing his mission but in finding out who was there to target him as well at the first hit. In the end just who is doing what and why makes for a satisfying and completely off guard solution to the mystery.What makes the movie work is the well scripted writing, giving Grady a wise cracking disposition that has him delivering quips while working at the job of killing people. Kemp does a wonderful job of pulling these off with ease. Not only that the end of the film also results in something so unexpected that it catches you by surprise, something that doesn't happen that often these days. Throw in some short near cameo sequences by action vets like William Forsythe and Vinnie Jones as well as one of the few non-makeup related roles by Doug Jones (who does a fantastic job here) and you have a movie that is a fun surprise to watch.After first watching I wasn't sure if this was one I'd add keep for my collection or not. But the more I thought about it the more I kept holding on to it. In the end I think it is one I may go back to from time to time, I had enough fun for that to happen. If nothing else this is one worth watching. Let's hope all involved move forward in the direction this film is pointing.

Doc Jazz The Midnight Man is a movie that I accidentally stumbled upon, without any previous reference and without ever having heard about it before. I watched it with barely any expectations of what it would be about, but it certainly took me by surprise when it forcefully grabbed me and dragged me into its imaginative storyline, right from the beginning.From the very start, this adorable and humorous crime movie picks up a steady pace that it maintains until its very last scene, and that has you constantly wondering what will come next. When I was done watching, I had enjoyed it so much that I just had to go and find out more about it, and that's when I was in for a few more surprises.I had not expected this to be the work of independent movie makers with a limited budget. I watch movies frequently, and I am able to appreciate the art of independent movie producers just as readily as that of high-end blockbusters. I think that what we are dealing with here, first and foremost, is a combination of excellent writing, directing, and acting. The unique amalgam of these talents that is presented in this movie manages to keep the focus of the viewer on the storyline, in a way that cleverly distracts your attention from any setbacks that might be caused by budget limitations or lack of resources. It is pure talent and brilliance, in my opinion, to be able to make a film that way, and to do it so successfully.I discovered that much of what we are seeing and experiencing is depending on the talents of Brinna Kelly, who plays the secondary lead role in the movie, or the 'co-lead', if you like. As it turns out, her contribution to this film goes far beyond that, as she is also the (co-)writer of the story, and the producer. Since, in my opinion, the storyline with its witty (sometimes hilarious) dialogs is such a major factor in the excellence of this flick, I believe that her contribution to its effectiveness must have been of cardinal significance. She skillfully and elegantly plays a surprising, fascinating, and somewhat hard-to-fathom character named 'Zan' in this film, providing an excellent balance against the role of the lead character, Grady, charismatically played by the British actor Will Kemp.I think that Grady was actually done so well, that another story could be written around his character, as a sequel to this film. I probably feel this way mostly as a result of Kemp's excellent acting, but it must also be a matter of good writing, and good casting. He manages to remain believable throughout the movie, provided that the viewer is tuned in to the subtly sarcastic sense of humor that permeates this movie from beginning to end. The humor has a distinctly British feel to it, while the movie itself has more of an American air and style. It may well be that the 'Britishness' is Kemp's own effect on the script. That said, the tongue-in-cheek dialogs are absolutely delightful, and contribute strongly to the attractiveness of the entire movie. When it comes to the acting in this film, Will Kemp 'makes' it; Brinna Kelly adds the magic.D.C. Hamilton is the director and co-writer of this movie, and apparently has a background in TV production and editing mostly. His previous work with Brinna Kelly was on a short movie called 'The Midnight Monster', which I have not yet had the pleasure to watch. When I found this title, I was amused by the fact that apparently, an allusion to that movie is being made in 'The Midnight Man'. Given the pivotal importance of the director in making a good script come to life, D.C. Hamilton undoubtedly deserves a huge portion of the credit. It certainly looks like the Hamilton-Kelly combination forms the basis of a powerful team with a promising potential for putting out superb works of art.Although I believe that all actors were excellently cast, and did a wonderful job, two of them specifically deserve to be highlighted here. Doug Jones plays a bone-chilling role as 'torture-expert' Vick, and William Forsythe impresses as the intimidating villain Fairbanks. Both these talented actors shine brightly, effortlessly immersed in their roles, as true veterans of the film industry.Last but not least, I think the movie score plays an important role in giving this movie that 'big feel'. It helps set the right mood, is never too prominent or pushy, and is woven seamlessly into the fabric of the storyline, the dialogue, and the action scenes.I think that The Midnight Man suffers only from one thing, and that's simply: not enough people seeing it. I watched it again, shortly after having seen it for the first time, and this time with the pause button under my finger. Truth be told, I was now able to see how and where a bigger budget would have been able to lift this movie to even higher levels, even though none of this had even come to my mind when I watched it the first time around.Nevertheless, this doesn't take away anything from the credit that these talented filmmakers deserve for what they proved to be able to create with what was available to them. On the contrary; it underlines even more that we are dealing with people of true artistic talent, who are inevitably going to make a serious impact in the movie world if they keep putting out such wonderful labors of love.Bottom line: watch The Midnight Man, and invite others to watch it. Take my word for it, you will enjoy it. Then, join me in looking out for this awesome team's next work.

quincytheodore In a world where action movies become more visceral, more demanding in their production and cinematography, "The Midnight Man" employs a sluggishly poor combat. Nevertheless, it also offers a few funny exchanges with solid script and presentable acting performance. The end product is a somewhat enjoyably one night stand with glaring flaws which are forgivable depending on your expectation.Grady (Will Kemp) is a fixer for a mob boss with unique ability to not feel pain. In one bad night, he must eliminate four targets that may have more connection than he thinks. There's a shade of Ryan Reynolds here, as Will Kemp dons a similar witty agent while running from one bizarre situation to the next. He gets the jester part right, although there's some shoddy moments when trying to emulate a hardened criminal.Brinna Kelly as Zan, the unlucky paramedic who got caught in the crossfire, is a fairly decent love interest and weird partner. Usually, this kind of Jason Statham's Transporter suave romance doesn't pay off, but the acting and chemistry makes it work more often than not. The supporting cast like Doug Jones and William Forsythe also deliver on the outlandishly named and portrayed characters.The problem, and it's a rather significant one, comes when it tries to do action sequences. It's utterly horrible, bordering on Bollywood level. This makes the sturdy, flamboyant or charismatic characters into feeble men trying to deliver a punch and fail. At a couple of points it becomes ridiculous, which perhaps might be serendipitous or even intentional, but it betrays the serious thriller tone it just builds for five minutes.Messy and sketchy, but hilariously entertaining at times. it's a sloppy trudge through a peculiar night elevated by its clever and humorous script.